South Korean President Kim Dae-jung replaced Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo on Monday and named a career diplomat to succeed him, the presidential Blue House said.
Last week, Han was retained in a sweeping cabinet reshuffle sparked by influence-peddling scandals that had implicated aides to the president.
A Blue House official told Reuters Han had resigned and longtime diplomat Choi Sung-hong, vice foreign minister, had been promoted to succeed him. Han is also president of the UN General Assembly this year.
The switch comes at a delicate time for South Korean diplomacy. President George W. Bush is scheduled to visit Seoul this month for talks.
(China Daily Februray 4, 2002)
